Djokovic cleans the court, then wipes Galan right off of it
Novak Djokovic eases past Daniel Elahi Galan in straight sets on Saturday at Roland-Garros, unaffected by any rain delays or interesting court conditions.
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French Open third round
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Djokovic d. Galan 6-0, 6-3, 6-2
- Key info: Djokovic won 12 of the match’s 16 break points (5 for 5 saved, 7 for 11 converted)
- You will also learn: The world No 1’s draw could start to get more difficult in week two
- Why you should read this story: The most entertaining moment did not come during the actual match
Novak Djokovic sprinted into the second week of the French Open after defeating Daniel Elahi Galan in straight sets on Saturday night. Djokovic needed only two hours and eight minutes to advance.
The Serb sauntered throughout his third-round contest without any real trouble, although rain briefly caused some difficult court conditions before the roof over Court Philippe-Chatrier was closed.
Runaway lead halted
Djokovic started the match looking absolutely invincible, as he took the first eight games from Galan while winning 100 percent of his first-serve points won and pounding 10 winner to his opponent’s zero. Right after Galan claimed a game from the world No 1, though, heavy rain forced the match to stop.
The players had no choice but to wait for the brand-new Chatrier roof to close, and Djokovic even participated in some clay-laying activity in the meantime.
If tennis doesn’t work out, we have a job for you @DjokerNole 😉 🧹#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/B56ubcRQSS
— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) October 3, 2020
As the play resumed, both players definitely took a dip in sharpness – especially Djokovic in comparison to his previous form. However, he still took the second set with relative ease while breaking serve twice.
Khachanov next for Djokovic
The third set was not quite as easy as it could have been. Djokovic raced to a 4-1 lead and had a break point in the sixth game, but he could not convert. Galan suddenly earned a break point of his own that would have brought him back on serve at 3-4, but he also saw his chance go by the wayside. The 153rd-ranked Colombian failed to serve to stay in it at 2-5 and with that the best run of his young career came to an end.
Next up for Djokovic on Monday is Karen Khachanov, a four-set winner over dangerous clay-courter Cristian Garin.
And there’s @rolandgarros win #71. 🙌@DjokerNole powers into week 2, defeating Galan in straight sets 6-0, 6-3, 6-2.#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/zipVKZrfRJ
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) October 3, 2020